


Photograph

by thecosmogirl



Category: Degrassi, Degrassi the Next Generation
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 11:09:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12431532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thecosmogirl/pseuds/thecosmogirl
Summary: “jt, who is that?" she asked curiously at the edge of the bed. a poloroid she found herself looking at a young guy who sort of resembled jt with a young baby in his arms. housed in a modest frame on his bedside table. from what she could tell the picture appeared to be sort of old.





	Photograph

“jt, who is that?" she asked curiously at the edge of the bed. a poloroid she found herself looking at a young guy who sort of resembled jt with a young baby in his arms. housed in a modest frame on his bedside table. from what she could tell the picture appeared to be sort of old.

it was the summer after sophomore year, the room was musty and sweaty drenched with sunlight. shirtless jt laid on the unmade bed recalling the question she asked. liberty went to take a sip of her water after a particularly heated makeout session. Not facing JT she stripped off her multi-colored tankini and threw on a turquoise tee over top. they had been swimming at liberty’s and then they went over his to hang out. and then he managed to follow her inside. the room fell silent in time but then he spoke. 

"i don’t care where he went.” jt sighed sniffling his nose, liberty turned her head looking at him seriously not saying anything, “i don’t care anymore. it’s too exhausting.”

“what happened?” she asked confusedly tilting her head, as she made her way toward him, “is everything okay?”

jt avoided her eyes breathing inward, “just my dad.”

liberty nervously lent him a sympathetic smile as she sat beside him on the side of the bed, “i’m sorry.”

“don’t be, he’s a jerk.” jt muttered shaking his head, “he didn’t want me. barely stuck it out, when he wasn’t on benders. i used to think it was my fault but you know what? it wasn’t. he made a choice.” he scoffed, “my mom on the other hand, my mom,” his voice cracked, “we did fine without him.”

“you don’t remember him i take it.” liberty asked, “you didn’t meet him?”

jt shook his head, “he came around when i was eight, one christmas but hey lib i really don’t want to talk about this.” he looked up at her, his dark eyes on her light eyes, “i just-“

“why do you still have his picture then?” liberty asked curiously after another brief pause.

he sighed, knowing well that liberty has to know about him, she’d never seen this side of him. this is like the part of jt that is hidden from everyone and she glimpsed that and felt like for a moment she knew the real jt. he noticed a stray spiral curl from in front of her face he slowly smoothed out her hair and pushed it back with his hand, “i have no idea but it’s not like he’ll come back around again.” jt sighed, “grandma and my mom are all the family i need, i have my best friends and my girlfriend and he can’t take that away from me. so what if i don’t have a dad.”

liberty beamed at him but was not certain that jt was completely finished, with it, she leaned in close and wordlessly pulled him into an embrace in the bright room. 

“don’t.” he pulled back placing his hand on her thigh, looking back up at her wiping the corners of his eye with a spare elbow, “whatever you do don’t tell anybody i told you. kind of want to keep a low profile.”

“of course,” she managed cooly whispering, “secret is safe with me.”

his hand never left her thigh, he leaned close leaning his forehead on hers, “sometimes i wish he chose me and stood by my mom. she tells me we look alike. i even dressed like him.” liberty could agree seeing the guy in the old polaroid and he wore a hawaiian shirt with a backwards baseball hat, “i don’t want people to think i’m pathetic.”

“you’re not pathetic.” liberty whispered shaking her head, their noses touched.

“oh no?” he asked pulling away shaking his head, “maybe you’re the only one who doesn’t think so." 

liberty frowned, unsure how to make it right again, make him smile. feeling guilty about the photograph, “i’m sorry i asked about it … “

"no, you’re my girlfriend you should know,” he blurted, “everything there is to know, there we go. you know everything about me and do you think of me any different?”

liberty narrowed her eyes and thought for a second before shyly shaking her head, “no, i still like you.”

“why liberty?” he asked, “i was awful to you. when i pretended to be gay … i have a confession to make - and - i-”

“you don’t think i thought myself pretty awful back then too?” she asked rolling her eyes at the thought. 

jt laughed, “i liked you.”

liberty raised a brow at her revelation, “when did you realize?”

“sounds really dumb, but it was so hard to pretend.”

“you could’ve had me . . ”

“psh, i wanted paige.” he replied, “remember older women, very hot.”

liberty rolled her eyes, “i don’t believe you.”

“well let’s not dwell,” he replied, as he pulled her into a kiss voluntarily and simultaneously they fell back onto the bed. liberty draped her arms around him as he pulled her shirt off and flung it at the bed side obscuring the image that would typically haunt him.


End file.
